5 minutes on the word of the week: wow

wow

Word of the week = wow.  See what she did there? (just so you know, that is NOT part of my 5 minutes...hence the italics.)

Sometimes I see or hear things that make me go “wow” – and not “wow” in a good way.  It’s like “Wow…I can’t believe she just said that.” Or “Wow…that’s quite the shirt he’s wearing.”  Sometimes there’s even a wide-eyed, jaw slightly dropped “Wow…we’re really different in the way we think about that.” 

And then sometimes I see or hear things that make me go “wow” – and my heart feels more fully alive and my breath catches a bit in my chest.  “Wow…look at that sunset.”  Or “Wow! That was such an amazingly kind thing you did in splitting that last piece of gum with your sister.”  And every now and then there’s even a wide-eyed, heading nodding, mouth smiling “Wow.  That’s really incredible.”

Things that most commonly make me go “wow” in the good way:

• Hearing someone share about what God is doing in their life.
• The fact that I’m married to Nick.
• Getting to see miracles of hope and healing on a regular basis.

And tonite my “wow” has to do with this crazy idea that we’re saying a whole lot of good-byes tomorrow to people we love and who love us, getting on a bus to ride to Tana to then get on a plane that will take us to Paris and then we'll get on another plane that will take us on to Atlanta…and when we get to Atlanta there will be people who we love and who love us waiting to welcome us.  Leaving love to get to love…wow.  Just wow.  

gifts, gifts, gifts

• a day that just feels good/right
• impromptu waffle with shea
• lisa's kindness to treat our family to dinner
• breakfast for dinner!

• hello kitty in a cup (sugar rimmed glasses)
• unexpected time with KJ (multiple times)
• new fruit basket
• lots of purchases for <$10
• hearing housekeeping team singing to start and end their workday
• found my doughnut notebook
• the luxury of being "fully understood and unconditionally loved" - jesus calling
• that those 2 things ^ can go together
• incredible dock space for the kids to ride bikes, scooters, etc.
• making nick laugh
• so much birthday love for mr. papanie from emma

• my bicycle stamp
• getting to share chocolate covered espresso beans in the cafe sunday morning
• not 1 but 2 hot apple pies wednesday morning
• not 1 but 2 chocolate croissants thursday morning
• His peace is there for the taking
• negative malaria test
• watching nurses do their job with excellence (specifically talking about seeing stacia in action in this case)
• so many offers for help
• lots of "this time next week" moments
• lovely and delightful few hours with amy jones
• how very helpful nick is 
• fun signs and cars around town

5 minutes on the word: reliable

reliable

Faithful. Can be counted on. Can be trusted. Will do what it’s supposed to do – every.single.time.

What a joy to know that our God is reliable.  He is faithful and can be counted on.  He can be trusted and He will do what He says He’ll do.  And He’ll do it perfectly.

When have I known Him to be reliable?  Always.  He’s never not been reliable…He can’t not be reliable.  Faithfully loving me….relentlessly pouring grace out on me….gently correcting me…forever forgiving me…continually rejoicing over me. 

He is reliable…even when I am not.

Thinking about Him being reliable took up more of my 5 minutes than writing did…

5 minutes on the word of the week: anticipation

anticipation

I hope there weren’t many waiting in great anticipation for the word of the week post last week – because I obviously didn’t come through for you.  (and at times today I’ve wondered if anything was going to get written this time around either!!  But now I’m determined…and am going to write last week’s AND this week’s!)(are you anticipating what this week’s word might be?  Spoiler alert: it’s “reliable”).

I have kind of been anticipating writing about anticipation all week…but I never felt like I had much to say about it.  I think I kept anticipating that a great thought would find its way into my brain….but, alas, nothing….there are 2 things I keep coming back to though: 1) the anticipation of our upcoming trip to the states and 2)the idea that the best defenders in basketball or ultimate Frisbee (or any other sport where interceptions are involved) are the ones that can anticipate the pass – and get in the way of it or catch it/knock it down or can anticipate the next move of the offense and guard against it.    

But then I don’t have any further thoughts…and my 5 minutes is pretty much up….and I really don’t want to post this…but I want to keep with the “word of the week” practice.  And just have to come to terms with sometimes I don’t have anything that amounts to much to say on a particular subject…and that’s ok...

abundant blessings.

• sleeping off the sickness (taking "sleep in saturday" to a whole new level)
• terrible cup of coffee with KJ (the lovely conversation made up for the coffee)
• sharing life with rachel
• theme song birthday cards

• always having an ice option
• speaking TRUTH to caroline 
• pumpkin spice latte in a lovely mug

• catching up with nate
• michelle is visiting the bullocks in texas
• tried a lychee

• instagram
• nick's faithful pursuit of (and success at) being an amazing husband 
• "God of the angel-armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle." - psalm 89:4 (msg)
• homework and playtime on deck 8

so much.

• Ultimate Frisbee & pizza in honor of the birthday
• Got to try the coconut water
• Cold coke in a bottle on the beach 
• Spontaneous party games (that were really fun!)
• Battleship by candlelight

• Time with just emma & nick
• Siting on the dock in the shade
• Fresh flowers from a lovely lady

• Steph’s willingness to take emma to paint her toes (i do believe she saved my sanity)
• Fun gifts from molly – pumpkin spice coffee included!
• Successful talk/sharing
• “that was just what I needed to hear.”
• Little whiteboard project

• More of shea’s chocolate cake
• Eli is feeling better
• Caroline’s concern for eli when he was sick
• Lovely birthday gifts from nick and the kids
• An article shared at just the right time
• Mini crunchie bars from mighty
• Krissy’s willingness to sit on the steps with me
• Shea’s faithful friendship and morning runs
• Cupcakes with chaplaincy

• Screening is happening!
• Nick’s thoughtful and incredible ways of celebrating me and my birthday (including, but not limited to, fruit snacks, nametags, dinner….)
• A friend who knows me – knows what I like and don’t, blesses me with an omelette and a fresh journal with such special touches, puts up a sign in the hallway that enables others to bless me with encouraging words...a friend who loves me so well. 

• “best birthday yet”
• encouraging words/cards - from here and there and everywhere. 
• “Mansfield” ended sweetly
• watching day crew show up – and being greeted with smiles and cups of cool water
• the fun kids can have with cardboard boxes
• a sweet little girl who took a nap in a cardboard box

• so.much.birthday.love (it needs a blog all of its own)
• dinner with nick at “the banana place” – including dessert with a flare

5 minutes on the word of the week: Laughter

laughter

Laughter.  What a gift! 

I got to experience a tremendous round of laughter last Friday night during one of the Africa Mercy’s Open Mic nights.  It’s kind of a tradition that we have an Open Mic night during each sail – though I wonder if it might be nice to have them more often! (now that I’m thinking about it I know we’ve had some not during a sail…but the majority of them have been during a sail!). 

Anyway…Friday night a week ago, a group of guys acted silly and it was awesome.   They wore crazy clothes and danced around like idiots and played some pretty incredible music in the process (….their musical skillz were significantly better than their wardrobe and dancing abilities...but I think that was part of the point).  I love that they were willing to just have fun for the benefit of the community.  It felt so good to laugh…and to hear others laughing (especially at the end of a sail that was particularly rough!). 

I was hoping that my abs would be sore from laughing so much – it felt like a pretty good work out…but, alas, they weren’t sore.  But I am confident that I benefitted from the laughter in so many other ways – it’s definitely good medicine. 

What is the statistic – something about kids laughing a bazillion times a day and adults only laugh 3 times…we should laugh more.  It's good for the soul.